"I delight in Buckingham Palace", said Queen Victoria, when she moved in three weeks after ascending to the throne. Today the 40-acre secluded garden contains specimen shrubs, trees and a large lake. Eight to nine thousand people visit it during the annual garden parties.
It took George Ⅳ, on becoming King in 1820, and John Nash, Surveyor-general to GeorgeⅣ when he was Prince Regent, many years to turn the house into a sumptuous palace. Nash demolished the North and South wings and rebuilt them. He constructed Marble Arch as a grand entrance to the enlarged courtyard. As work continued, Nash let his costs run away with him, and Parliament complained. Joseph Hume, an English politician and reformer fighting for financial retrenchment, said, "The Crown of England does not require such splendour. Foreign countries might indulge in frippery, but England ought to pride herself on her plainness and simplicity." Nevertheless, elegance reigned.
Queen Victoria was crowned in 1837. When she moved in, Buckingham Palace became, for the first time, the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns. There wasn’t a room large enough for grand entertainments, so in 1853 — 1855, Queen Victoria ordered the Ballroom built. 122 feet long, 60 feet wide and 45 feet high, it is, today, used for many events such as the State Banquet, the Diplomatic Reception, and memorial concerts. This is the site of Investitures, where the Queen (who was crowned in 1952) presents the recipients of British honours with their awards. During World War Ⅱ, a chapel, converted by Queen Victoria from Nash’s conservatory, was bombed. Prince Philip oversaw its rebuilding as the Queen’s Gallery, home to a rotating collection of art from the Royal Collection. The Gallery, currently in the process of renovation, will reopen in 2002 for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
More than 600 rooms, including 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms comprise the castle’s assets. But the "room" best known around the world is the Balcony where the Royal family’ gathers on celebratory and solemn occasions to be seen by their subjects.
The Palace is more than a home for the Royals. It is the official administrative headquarters of the monarchy and contains the Offices of their staff. It is the place where all Royal ceremonies and official banquets are held. Government ministers, top civil servants and heads of state visit to carry out their duties. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "working from home". |
